An Unexpected Love

NINE

Thranduil sat in the Rivendell dining area with all the other guards that would be traveling back to Greenwood. However, not everyone who would be traveling back was indulging in breakfast. Once again, Navaheya was missing a meal. Thranduil had no idea if the seamstress had eaten the food that Lord Elrond had sent to her room after the conversation the three had the night previous. He had left her at the door of her room. Thinking back, he scolded himself for not making sure she ate the food waiting in her room or making sure she ran a bath to warm up or ensuring she was comfortable in bed, and if her pillows were fluffed enough. As the prince mentally scolded himself for everything he thought he could have done, the guards of Greenwood started getting restless and chatting about when their company would leaving. They wanted to leave early to ensure they arrived back in greenwood in only two days instead of the three It would take if they delayed any longer. The large wooden chair screeched against the marble floor as Thranduil stood from his chair and dismissed his guards to go prepare the mounts in the Rivendell stables. He, himself was going to try and find Navaheya in the vast palace. The blonde prince thought that she could still be sleeping, it had gotten quite late by the time that he had walked her to her room.

On the Prince's venture to the woman's room, his thoughts drifted to how different she would act towards him now. She had been willingly in his arms the night prior, she had willingly kissed him after she had explained the precarious situation she had been put in. Would she continue to give her affection to the young Prince or would she shelter herself away from him for the sake of his family and his kingdom? She was selfless, she was thinking like a queen. Putting the kingdom before herself, making Thranduil fall more and more in love with her.

He stopped in front of her door And knocked lightly, he didn't want to wake her abruptly in case she was sleeping. In response to his knock, there was no noise on the other side of the door. The Prince figured that maybe the woman just hadn't heard his knock so, once again, he knocked on the large wooden door. Once again there was no noise on the other side of the door. Thranduil started to get nervous with the no responses coming from the other side ofthe door. Maybe she was a heavy sleeper?

The Prince's pale hand wrapped around the silver door handle and gently opened the door to the room. Her room looked the same as it had when he was in there the previous day, it was clean, the wardrobe doors were closed, the bed was made to perfection. Navaheya was nowhere to be seen, the washroom door was open. Peering in cautiously, he didn't find the seamstress. The only thing out of place was a piece of parchment laying on the desk. Curiosity overtook the Prince as he stepped closer to look at the parchment. Thranduil picked the parchment up and scanned over it. In his hands laid an incomplete letter written in Elvish. He recognized Navaheya's neat and swirly handwriting almost immediately from her notes on sketches.

My darling Lord Elrond,

I am writing this well in advance to it being sent to you as I am well aware of how my situation will most likely play out. I would like to request the possibility of if your offer is still available for me to accept. I wish to move my mother to your beautiful City. I am unable to prolong the decay on my own accord any longer. I am unaware of the logistics of my mother traveling to Rivendell, however, I am humbly requesting for your assistance. As much as this shatters my heart, I can not prevent the inevitable. I must accept the realities I face, no matter how unfortunate they may be.

Your other offer is still being considered, I unfortunately can not give you the answer you desire at this moment.
You will receive another letter from myself when I have come to my decision. I am aware of the details we previously discussed...

The Prince read through the letter multiple times. His dark eyebrows knit together in confusion. He understood the first section of the letter. Her mother was growing sicker, and Lord Elrond would be able to help her mother more than Navaheya herself. Thranduil let out an annoyed breath as he read over the letter once again. What was the second thing that the Lord of Rivendell was offering, and why did he want a specific answer from the seamstress. Why was she referring to the Lord as 'darling'? The prince forced himself to put down the letter back where it was on the desk, he couldn't stand to look at it any longer. Was the lord of Rivendell lying to him? Why else would Navaneya refer to him that way? The more questions that came to mind, the more frustrated and angry he became.